“Initially we need a small cross-section of users to test TweetDeck Web across the recent versions of all the major web browsers,” TweetDeck community manager Richard Barley wrote. The initial beta will cover Chrome, Safari and Firefox (versions 3.6 and 4). Internet Explorer 9 and Opera will follow.

I used to use TweetDeck’s desktop app, because I liked seeing my Twitter feed, mentions and Facebook news feed in a single view. But I gravitated back to Twitter’s own website because it’s more natural to contain the service within the web browser, where I can easily open links and switch back and forth between tabs. When TweetDeck launched its Chrome web app, switching back was a no-brainer. TweetDeck says it’s one of the most popular web apps for Chrome, with more than 400,000 users.

The app does have disadvantages: trending topics are buried behind a menu; there’s no way to view retweets; you can’t see a user’s entire timeline without creating a dedicated column; and if you need suggestions on who to follow, you’re better off with Twitter’s website. But the TweetDeck excels at efficiently delivering lots of feeds at the same time. If you’re not using Chrome, consider signing up for the TweetDeck Web beta.